Improvement in fruit-boxes



C. W. WESTON. Improvement in Fruit-Boxes.

Patented Aug. 27,1872.

Inventor strips of wood which form the box.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rien CHARLES W. WESTON, OFSAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FRUIT-BOXES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,963, dated August 27,1872.

SPECIFICATION.

` To all whom it may concern:

lowing description and accompanying drawing are sufficient to enable anyperson skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertainsto make and use my said invention and improvement without furtherinvention or experiment.

My invention relates to that class of fruitboxes which are composed 'oftwo thin sheets of veneer or shavings laid across one another to form abottom for the box, the ends of which are turned up so as to form thesides, and is an improvement upon the fruit-box of this construction forwhich Letters Patent were granted to me on the 10th day of October,1871, and No. 119,806.

My present improvement relates to a novel and simple means of puttingthe box together and' securing it in a substantial manner, so that theturned-over ends of the sides can be cheaply and strongly securedwithout the use of tacks, and the permanence of the veneers secured.

In order to further explain my improvements, reference is had to theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 shows the pieces of which thebox is composed. Fig. 2 is a perspective'view of my improved box.

A and B represent the two veneers or thin Before putting these veneerstogether I propose to run them through between two rollers, which areproperly constructed to stamp or cut out portions of the veneer in thefollowing manner. From the opposite edges of the upper veneer A, nearits middle, a portion is cut out, as at C, also at about the middle ofthe upturned sides a portion is stamped out in two or more places in thesame line, so as to leave an upward-projecting tongue, d, at each place.At the point'where the end of the veneer turns over the wire rim a smallportion is cut away from each corner, and a recess, e, is made at theangle for the purpose hereinafter described. lThe end of the iiap F,which is to be turned over the wire rim inside of the box, is then cutout so as to form tongues g g g, which, when the iap is turned downagainst the side, will come between and upon each side of the tongues din the sides. The lower veneer .B is stamped out similar to the upperone, with the exception that a tongue, h, equal in width to the openingC in the upper veneer, is Iformed at the middle of each side, one-halfoi' which is upon each side of the angle formed by the turning up of thesides. This tongue is just between the opening in the edges of the upperveneer when the two are placed together.

To put the box together the two veneers are placed across each other andthe sides turned up. The tongue h is bent upward before turning up thetwo sides in which they are formed, so as to cause their upper ends torest against the sides of the box above the space which it originallyoccupied, which it will do, owing to its standing in nearer to thecenter of the box in the opening C. The wire rim is then placed inposition and the corners of the veneers, over which a portion waspreviously cut away, are placed inside of the wire, as shown, the wireresting in the recesses in the angles. The aps or ends of the veneersare then turned over` the wirey inside of the box, the tongues g galternating with the tongues d. A wooden strip, L, is then inserted overand under the tongues, so as to weave them together and secure the iiapin place.

By passing the wire rim outside of the corners of the veneers the box isgreatly strengthened and thefopenings at the corners reduced in size.

The tongue h will serve as braces, and, by fitting in the .openings inthe edge of the upper veneer, prevents the bottom pieces from shiftingupon each other.

Various kmethods of weavin g or securing the turned-over ends of theveneers can be applied, such as leaving the extremity entire andl simplyinserting it under the tongues d; but such devices are al1 equivalent tothat shown.

By this means I provide a cheap and light vbut strong fruit-box, Whichcan be packed for transportation and be used over and over again.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The piece B, with its tongues g, d, and h, in

combination with the key l and the piece A, for the purpose described.

2. A fastening for boxes, consisting of the tongues g and d, incombination With the key l, as described.

In Witness whereof I set-,my hand and seal.

C. W. WESTON. [11. s]

- Witnesses:

GEORGE WUnsT, Jr., J. L. BOONE.

